The First-Week Well-Baby Visit

Updated: May 4, 2018

Stocksy

Here's what you can expect at your baby's first doctor's appointment outside the hospital.

You’ve dreamed of your baby-to-be for nine months, and now your precious bundle is finally home. You’re bound to be flooded with emotions, from over-the-moon happiness to over-the-top nervousness. And whether you’re a first-time parent or a veteran, you’re likely to have a lot of questions.

At your first well-baby visit, usually scheduled within a week after birth, your baby’s doctor will answer those questions and address your concerns. She’ll also perform a complete examination of your new arrival. Here’s what you can expect.

The Physical Checkup

If your baby had a different pediatrician in the hospital, be sure to bring along the infant growth chart you received, documenting those first stats. The pediatrician will be adding to it during this visit and keeping it on file for future appointments.

Keep in mind that newborns usually lose weight before they start gaining, and your little one will likely still be under his birth weight at this first visit. Exclusively breastfed babies take longer to regain their birth weight, but by two weeks, most babies start gaining — often fast. Baby’s length may be the same, but it may be longer or even shorter, since measuring a newborn isn’t a precise science. In addition to taking measurements and doing a complete physical exam, the doctor will:

Check for newborn jaundice, a common and usually temporary condition in which your baby’s skin may appear yellow — though that may be difficult to determine in darker-skinned babies (which is why a blood test to check bilirubin levels may also be given).

Developmental Milestones

Even as early as his first week of life, your little one is starting to master new skills that your doctor will look for during the checkup. At this visit (or soon after), your baby may already be able to:

Move arms and legs on both sides of the body equally well.

Focus on objects within 8 to 15 inches (especially your face!)

Lift head briefly when on tummy

Developmental milestones like these follow roughly the same timeline for most babies in the first year, but every baby is (beautifully, wonderfully) different, and will achieve milestones at a different pace. So why assess them at all? If a delay is identified within the (very) wide range of what’s considered normal, further examination by your doctor can help determine whether there’s any reason for concern.

The doctor will also look for reflexes that are standard issue at birth and are signs that a baby’s new nervous system and brain are working well. These include the rooting and sucking reflex (both designed to make sure he locates and secures that food source, thereby getting fed), the Moro reflex (also called “startling,” which is that jumpy reaction when baby is laid down on his back or is startled by a noise or other sensation), the tonic neck reflex (this one makes a baby look like he’s fencing), the grasp reflex (baby’s fingers will curl up in a grasp when his palm is stroked), and the stepping reflex (baby will seem to take steps when held upright).

Immunizations

This well-baby visit is injection-free. However, if your baby didn’t get the CDC-recommended HepB (hepatitis B) vaccine at birth, he should receive it now. Not sure if he did? Ask!

Time to Talk to Your Doctor and Ask Questions

If you suddenly find yourself searching for operating instructions (don’t all babies come with them?), give yourself time. You’ll be surprised at how much of a natural you really are when it comes to being a parent. In the meantime, take advantage of well-baby visits to get answers to your questions, which could now include:

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect the First Year. Health information on this site is based on peer-reviewed medical journals and highly respected health organizations and institutions including ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), as well as the What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.

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What to Expect the First Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel.